Stars remains angry over claims they snubbed Seve

Lack of big names at the Seve trophy is the year’s lowlight.

It is easy to pick out the highlights of the 2013 golf season.

But surely the lack of big names at the Seve Trophy in October was the low point.

Much was made at the time of the United States-based European Tour players staying on the other side of The Pond.

Nearly three months on, that criticism still leaves a nasty taste in the mouths of Ian Poulter and Lee Westwood.

They are team-mates at Greg Norman’s Shark Shoot-Out in Naples, Florida, this weekend but chose not to team up for the Seve Trophy at St Nom la Breteche.

Both were united in their condemnation of their critics, and left little doubt they did not think they were deserving of the brickbats.

“We have done things in the past for his charity and foundation,” revealed Westwood.

“That is why it gets to you quite a bit when people say you are disrespecting Seve just because you don’t play in the Seve Trophy.

“I get quite angry about that, I find it quite upsetting and insulting. I think we all agree that we respect Seve as much as any player that ever lived and certainly since he passed away.”

Poulter backed his team-mate to the hilt, and he was not pulling any punches either!

“It’s very easy to sit back and write an article in the paper about guys who do not attend, and how poor it is on their behalf,” he mused.

“But they are not the ones having to play these events all around the world.

“I think you saw at the Ryder Cup last year just how much it meant to the European players to have Seve on the arm, and Seve on the bag.

“Seve was incredible for Europe. We all say that, so it frustrates the guys who hear the criticisms: ‘You’re not there, and you should be there’.

“The US Tour is so condensed at the end of the season with all the big events leading up to the finale at the Fed X Cup.

“Then the European Tour has it’s final series leading into the Race to Dubai that we all play in.

“So it becomes difficult to play the right amount of events, and not to be tired when you need to compete in a big event.

“And that’s not saying the Seve Trophy is not a big event.

“But it is scheduled at a bad time in the current European Tour calendar, and it is very hard on the guys living in the States.

“We would have to fly over to Europe for the Seve, and go back to America for a week before taking off for a month in Asia.

“I think people believe we can play every event when we plan our schedule, but we can’t do that.

“We have families, and we would like to see our families as much as we can. And that’s the crunch right there.

“It is very hard to play your best flying across the Atlantic or out to Asia so many times.

“So the European Tour’s slot for the Seve Trophy needs to be looked at.

“But both Lee and I agree that, with the golfing calendar as it is now, just where do you put it in?”